Book Group Extras

Adam Newman belongs to a strong and vibrant community of Jewish Londoners. His fiancée, Rachel Gilbert, and her large family have considered him one of their own for years. And as a junior member of his future father-in-law’s law firm, he’s entwined himself inextricably with the people among whom he has grown up. But it isn’t until one of their own, the enigmatic and atypical Ellie Schneider, returns to London from New York with the wake of a scandal at her heels, that Adam realizes just how inextricable his ties to the community really are. Read more

Willie Sutton was one of the most notorious, infamous and frequently quoted figures of the twentieth century—yet little is known about him. From the 1920s to the 1950s he robbed dozens of banks, made off with perhaps two million dollars and escaped three maximum security prisons—but how? And why? Who was Willie Sutton and what drove him? Read more

Knit One Pearl One, the follow-up novel to The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club and Needles and Pearls, continues the story of Jo Mackenzie’s life in the scenic seaside village of Broadgate. Between her three adorable children, her ever-expanding knitting and café business, and her friends in high places, Jo can hardly find a moment of harmony in her crowded, hectic life. The arrival of Daniel, father to her young daughter, Pearl, throws a wrench into Jo’s carefully planned day-to-day whirlwind. Should Jo take a leap of faith with the globe-trotting one-, well, two-night-stand Daniel, or should she settle for Martin, the hapless but earnest local carpenter? In Knit One Pearl One, one thing is certain: everyone in the close-knit Broadgate community is part of the family. And in the end, Jo realizes she doesn’t need a man to make her happy—her busy life is already brimming over with love. Read more

Wayward Saints explores the life of Mary Saint, the rule-breaking former lead singer of the almost-famous band Sliced Ham, after her fall from grace (and the public eye) seven years earlier. She has found a modest home in San Francisco, and, with the help of her best friend, Thaddeus, is trying to center her life and find the peace she couldn’t grasp as an out-of-control, rebellious rock star, or as a scared, abused young girl. Back in Mary’s hometown of Swallow, New York, her mother, Jean Saint, is also trying to get past Mary’s hurtful past—as well as her long, abusive, lonely marriage. When Mary is invited to give a concert at her old high school, Jean is thrilled, but she’s also worried about what her town will think of her daughter’s music. Though the concert brings Mary physically back to Swallow, it’s the bonds of family, and the self-confidence that she finds while home, that finally bring Mary peace. Read more

The de la Mare household, filled entirely with women, is not unlike many households on the tiny British island of Guernsey during World War II, where most men have left to join the army in its fight against the encroaching German forces. Vivienne feels little difference, however, in her husband Eugene’s absence from the life they lived when he resided at home as she raises their two daughters and cares for her ailing mother-in-law. He may have slept in the same bed, but the distance between them, then, was just as great. Read more

On the eve of her sixth wedding anniversary, Isabel Gillies found herself on a plane with her two toddler sons in tow, flying away from Oberlin, Ohio, and from her husband Josiah—her boys’ father—back to her parents’ apartment in New York City. Her husband had just left her for another woman, and she had nowhere else to go. Read more

The Wild Rose, Jennifer Donnelly’s third and final installment of the Rose series, is a sweeping saga of love, passion, and betrayal that unfolds over four continents during the course of World War I. Incorporating historical figures with fictional characters, The Wild Rose examines the themes of exploration, espionage, global conflict, and women’s rights in vivid, impeccably researched historical detail. Read more

Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat is the story of a doctor who, at first, doesn’t always listen; of the patients he serves; of their caregivers; and, most importantly, of a cat who teaches by example, embracing moments of life that so many of us shy away from. Read more

As 2007 drew to a close, John Kralik was experiencing the greatest hardships of his fifty-three years. His second marriage was dissolving, a new chance at love had passed him by, his law firm was floundering, he was overweight and out of shape, living in a cramped, hot apartment, and struggling to pay growing personal bills. Read more